Missed pregnancy?

[HeadstrongNDG]

How likely is it that a pregnancy could be missed on an ultrasound? I have a mare who was last bred in early august, and vet confirmed she did not take. This was a last-ditch effort after 3 failed breedings earlier in the season. She had 6 foals in a previous home, but last foal was a few years back. I was bummed, but accepted the fact that we wouldn’t be getting a foal out of her.

We noticed some weird movement in her flank area yesterday that I have never seen before. I took a video because I felt like I was just seeing things, but everyone I have shown it to agreed it was…odd. I will attach pictures of her from December and yesterday. I have been comparing them for so long I don’t even know if I really see a difference at this point. I will be reaching out to my vet just to ask- I just don’t want to seem crazy!

[HeadstrongNDG]

this is her in december

[NancyM]

How long after breeding was she checked? If around 20 days, yes, it can easily be missed with ultrasound. Have you not SEEN any sign of heats since then? It will become more apparent in time. It’s fine to involve a vet with breeding plans. But listen to the horse. The horse will tell you. A palpation from the vet at this point may find a foal, if it’s there. This wouldn’t be the FIRST surprise foal.

[Texarkana]

My missed pregnancy is now 2:

It happens. But of course, never when you want it to.

Adding: this was mom the night she stepped off the trailer after a 10 hour ride, unknowingly 330 days pregnant with her 8th foal. The people who had her had no idea, especially since most would assume an older, seasoned broodmare would be much larger at that point.

[HeadstrongNDG]

Yes, I would have to check vet records to see exactly how long it was post breeding, but I believe her last check was right around 20 days. She did have a cyst that we were aware of…I’m wondering if baby may have been mistaken for that cyst…
She has never really been obvious about being in heat. There have been a couple instances where I have thought she could possibly be in heat, but never thought “oh she is 100% in heat”.

[candyappy]

Personally, looking at the change between Dec & now, I would have the vet out asap so you know and can be prepared one way or the other.

[EventerAJ]

“Weird movement around the flank” is very very often mistaken for pregnancy. But it isn’t. 90% of fetal movement will be observed under the belly, just in front of the udder. There is less “stuff” there between the uterus and the body wall. Up on the side of the flank, there is a lot of large intestine between the uterus and the mare’s skin, blobs of guts that will absorb fetal movement. If you see “flutters” along the mare’s flank, that is peristaltic movement from her digestive system, not a foal.

Everyone gets fooled by this, you are not alone! This doesn’t mean she ISN’T pregnant, just that you aren’t seeing her foal up high in her flanks. In late term pregnancy when the foal is nearly fully grown, you may see some kicks and pokes low on the flanks about even with the stifle.

[NancyM]

Do you have her last breeding date? If you do, add 11 months and a week to figure on a possible foaling date. Give a tetanus shot a month before that date, just in case. By that point, it should be more obvious if it is happening. Having a rectal palpation may or may not find a foal in there… they drop down below the pelvis at a certain point, and can’t be felt any more. (I had one missed on a rectal that way, by a very experienced vet who couldn’t believe that he had missed it LOL). But it became more obvious later in the spring. If you don’t have a breeding date, if the milk bag will start to develop, get the tetanus shot. Either way, things become obvious in time, one way or the other LOL. I hope that whichever way it goes is suitable for your plans. Good luck!

Those little embryos at 20 days are easily missed. You will find some vets who claim that they don’t miss them, but don’t believe that. They miss all sorts of things, short cycle the mare and try again and give you the bill. They miss twins. I have dealt with more sets of twins that you can imagine, scans by various vets missed them. I had one maiden mare who was scanned at 20 days, no foal found. Vet said “short cycle” and bring her back in to rebreed. But I did NOT. My stallion said that she was NOT coming back into heat, and I believed him. Stallion was right. Vet was wrong. Mare was in foal. Always listen to the horse. Ultrasound is always up for interpretation. Especially if a mare has had a few foals, there can be folds of uterus all over the place, many things can NOT be seen, can not be found. Very inexact readings.